


Must Bring Flowers

by Remember When (scribblemyname)



Series: Trope Bingo 2015 [11]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Birthday Party, Community: trope_bingo, F/M, First Dates, Flowers, Fluff, High School AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-16
Updated: 2015-06-16
Packaged: 2018-04-04 17:55:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4147281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribblemyname/pseuds/Remember%20When
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maria smiled at him in passing in the hall somewhere between morning classes. At lunchtime, she didn't even glance his way, though they shared the same loose group of friends. In the afternoon, she barely spared him a glance when he asked her if she'd caught the homework assignment he missed while using the hall pass. She answered perfunctorily.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Must Bring Flowers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tielan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tielan/gifts).



> So, hi, tielan. You asked for Maria/Steve on my Trope Bingo card and I wanted to follow up the high school AU I did for promptathon. My first real attempt upon this pairing, so here's hoping it's likable. :grins:

Maria sat down next to Steve on the crowded couch, startling him into spilling his soda. It was Tony Stark's birthday bash and crowded with all his friends, acquaintances, etc. from their school. Steve hadn't realized Maria counted Tony as a friend, but she was Natasha's friend and keeper of the betting pool, so...

So of course, Tony invited her.

"Um... I don't bet."

"Exactly," Maria stated and leaned back with a slight but audible sigh of relief. "And everyone else here does."

"I see." And Steve really did see. As he looked around and took in the conversations, the crazy dancing on the countertop— _really,_ Tony?—and the laughter and freely flowing gossip, dares, and more, he could see that Maria was probably working way too hard.

"Do you like dancing?" he asked, hesitating when he looked at what dancing was going on aside from Tony and wincing when the song changed to Tony's 'I'm-building-things' metal.

Maria looked at him, brows lifting speculatively. She pursed her lips, then made a decision and grabbed his hand to pull him after her in the direction of the balcony.

It was quieter out there and Steve could hear Natasha's laughter from where she and Clint were leaning out a nearby window.

Maria wrapped her arms around his shoulders and said, "Why, yes, Rogers. I like dancing."

* * *

The unwise last night drank alcohol and were now paying the price. The more prudent, Steve numbered among them along with all the jocks who had to report to Coach May for morning football practice (all appeals to have only afternoon practice had been summarily denied), had not. They drank soda or water and showed up at school looking fresh.

Natasha wasn't on the football team, and Steve was pretty sure she'd been up literally all night harrassing Tony goodnaturedly, playing with his bots, and making out with Clint, but she looked fresh as a daisy as she leaned against his open locker with a grin on her face.

"Hey, stranger."

"Hello, Natasha." He gave her his patented dubious look appropriate for all Romanovian causes of mild suspicion.

"Heard you went dancing last night." She was still grinning maddeningly and now she popped her gum just to be annoying.

He closed his locker with a sigh. "You were there. You saw. It was not inappropriate."

"Pity." She rolled her eyes at him and followed as he started down the hall. "I was actually stopping by to tell you she likes potted flowers guaranteed to survive, preferably tulips because they don't die as easily."

Steve drew to an abrupt halt and stared at her.

"You _were_ going to give her flowers, right?"

He didn't have a proper opportunity to attempt a reply (by regaining use of his tongue) before Clint passed by in a noisy argument with Sam and swept Natasha along with him by snagging her waist. She didn't even bother waving goodbye. It's not like he wouldn't see her at lunch.

Flowers? Natasha was trying to match him up. Again.

* * *

It was a little known secret but poorly hidden. Once Natasha decided she'd met the love of her life, she looked around and started trying to get all her friends to share her besotted state. That's how Pepper moaned about it anyway.

* * *

Maria smiled at him in passing in the hall somewhere between morning classes. At lunchtime, she didn't even glance his way, though they shared the same loose group of friends. In the afternoon, she barely spared him a glance when he asked her if she'd caught the homework assignment he missed while using the hall pass. She answered perfunctorily.

He accosted Sam, who was _not_ actively trying to get Steve to start dating and asked.

Sam stared at him. "You asked a girl to dance at a party then didn't follow that up? Dude, opportunity wasted. If she's not roaring mad at you."

Nice to know Natasha really was on his side at least. He went out after school and bought flowers—tulips—the potted kind.

* * *

Maria opened the door expecting to see the pizza she'd ordered ten minutes ago (even if that was historically overly optimistic, despite guaranteed delivery times). Instead Steve was looking nervous and apologetic and holding out...flowers.

She looked at the flowers, looked at him, then took a deep breath. "Hi, Steve."

"Can I come in?" he asked, politely.

This kind of thing really wasn't in her plans for the school year, but...

She took the flowers and let him inside.


End file.
